Started out with a cheap Wilson cue my brother got me after college. Upgraded to a Meucci 97-21 and played with it for years. Started looking into a custom cue after i won a local tournament. Went to SBE and tried out everything I could. Decided on a Durbin, great guy, great cues. 8 point, boxes in the butt cap, EE wrap. Doubt ill ever use anything else
Tell us about your "cue journey"
- Thread starter LC3
- Start date
I bought my first cue 29 years ago. Well lets say i paid for it and im still on the waiting list for a very famous cue maker. I may have to change it from 19.5oz to 18oz because i now have arthritis. I tried paging tbe cuemaker but he never gets back to me. Perhaps he lost his pager. He doesnt have my new address because i sold the house and moved in to an assisted living place. Should i be worried?
Mid 90's Jensen 'bushka.
My first good cue was a Viking with linen wrap, a 16th birthday present. Carried that cue for 25 years when it started to look and feel tired. Then I had some money to try something else so I got a Pechauer USA about 10 years ago and it’s been my main stick since. About a year ago I picked up another Pechauer with more detail work, but I’m so used to my USA that I haven’t stopped using it. What it really comes down to is the current tip plays well, so I’ve got no desire to change cues until the tip wears out.
As for my old Viking, though it’s refurbished I never plan to sell or trade. I’m going to hold it for sentimental reasons even though I don’t care for the weight, balance and wrap anymore.
So, I suppose I fall into the group that gets cues rarely and mostly keeps them for life.
As for my old Viking, though it’s refurbished I never plan to sell or trade. I’m going to hold it for sentimental reasons even though I don’t care for the weight, balance and wrap anymore.
So, I suppose I fall into the group that gets cues rarely and mostly keeps them for life.
Still trying to find the one that makes balls.
The journey continues..
The journey continues..
I have 3.
My first was a super customized Viking F50 in 2006. Beautiful cue that I still love and use as my go to. I discovered a LOT of warp early this year for the first time, sent it back with both shafts, and it came back perfect and looking JUST LIKE I BOUGHT IT all those years ago. Even the shafts looked and felt like they had never been played. Covered under warranty.
#2 was a Meucci 97-11 that I bought for my father. He no longer is able to play, sadly, so it's here at my house in a case by the table for safe keeping and maybe some day I will use it more as a player. It has a 12mm black dot shaft and I really like the cue, it just feels kind of sad to play it.
#3 was a gift that I surprisingly really like. It's a 21oz. Lucasi Big Beulah II with a leather "Gator" pattern wrap. I couldn't be more pleased with it. Had it for maybe 8 years? It's a really great breaker, and the 21 adds a lot of wallop.
No plans to ever sell / replace any of these.
My first was a super customized Viking F50 in 2006. Beautiful cue that I still love and use as my go to. I discovered a LOT of warp early this year for the first time, sent it back with both shafts, and it came back perfect and looking JUST LIKE I BOUGHT IT all those years ago. Even the shafts looked and felt like they had never been played. Covered under warranty.
#2 was a Meucci 97-11 that I bought for my father. He no longer is able to play, sadly, so it's here at my house in a case by the table for safe keeping and maybe some day I will use it more as a player. It has a 12mm black dot shaft and I really like the cue, it just feels kind of sad to play it.
#3 was a gift that I surprisingly really like. It's a 21oz. Lucasi Big Beulah II with a leather "Gator" pattern wrap. I couldn't be more pleased with it. Had it for maybe 8 years? It's a really great breaker, and the 21 adds a lot of wallop.
No plans to ever sell / replace any of these.
I'm not selling cues and don't plan to. Just shooting the breeze. I was just happy to have my first cue again, after thinking for years that I'd never find one. I thought back on the cues I had in the interim, and that got me thinking others must have had similar journeys they'd like to share.
Unknown aluminum cue 1971 (sold)
Adam wrapless 1973 (sold)
Adam Rempe Merry Widow 1982 (gave away)
Joss Merry Widow 1985 (still own)
Meucci HoF-1 1987 (sold after 15 yrs)
South West 1991 (sold after 20 yrs)
Meucci S/P 1992 (still own)
Scruggs 1996 (sold)
Schick 1997 (still own)
Gus Szamboti 2006 (sold after 7 yrs)
Tucker 2011 (sold)
Peppers 2012 (still own)
Showman 2013 (still own)
The dates indicate when I purchased the cues. Since ordering the Joss, I have owned 10 cues and still have 5 of them. The only cues that were made for me were the Joss and the Peppers. I also have 2 extra Showman shafts, 3 extra Schick shafts, 2 Barry Szamboti shafts, and 1 Predator 314-2. I was on William Gentry’s list to have a cue made.
Adam wrapless 1973 (sold)
Adam Rempe Merry Widow 1982 (gave away)
Joss Merry Widow 1985 (still own)
Meucci HoF-1 1987 (sold after 15 yrs)
South West 1991 (sold after 20 yrs)
Meucci S/P 1992 (still own)
Scruggs 1996 (sold)
Schick 1997 (still own)
Gus Szamboti 2006 (sold after 7 yrs)
Tucker 2011 (sold)
Peppers 2012 (still own)
Showman 2013 (still own)
The dates indicate when I purchased the cues. Since ordering the Joss, I have owned 10 cues and still have 5 of them. The only cues that were made for me were the Joss and the Peppers. I also have 2 extra Showman shafts, 3 extra Schick shafts, 2 Barry Szamboti shafts, and 1 Predator 314-2. I was on William Gentry’s list to have a cue made.
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Everyone has the 'it got away' story. Mine is not buying a truckload of JossWest's when Bill was making them here in Tulsa('74-'78). He turned-out some amazing stuff in those yrs. http://www.josswest.net/tulsa.html The far right cue in the left pic. is owned by a friend, Jerry Wiley. Work of art.
dirtvictim
Ignore the entitled they haven't earned respect
I bought my first cue back around 1977 when my good friend BC was teaching me how to play using what he called daytona, he was a local player that made money playing with a broomstick at local bars making a lot of money, he knew how to hustle and only missed when he wanted to.
My cue was a cane cue that I thought was pretty cool but it really wasn't, I walked everywhere at that time so it was easy to carry around.
My first real cue was around 1980 it was a pair of matching solid ebony huebler cues with single shafts that cost 70 each I sold one to a friend and we ran the circuit for a while.
Soon after that around '82 while playing the chicago circuit I met Jerry Franklin through John Wright and bought my first SW 3hi 3low green veneer cue off him for a whopping 275, my friend bought an ivory inlaid SW for 700 insane for that time.
That's when I met several now big name players at the green room, chicago heights and other halls on the circuit.
Since then I've had too many to count and likely every major name you can think of and multiples for sure.
Currently I have an AE Artistic Engineering, Ed Prewitt, vintage Mali, couple cheapos.
Most recently I had the pleasure to own the very first recorded SW made by David Kersenbrock.
My cue was a cane cue that I thought was pretty cool but it really wasn't, I walked everywhere at that time so it was easy to carry around.
My first real cue was around 1980 it was a pair of matching solid ebony huebler cues with single shafts that cost 70 each I sold one to a friend and we ran the circuit for a while.
Soon after that around '82 while playing the chicago circuit I met Jerry Franklin through John Wright and bought my first SW 3hi 3low green veneer cue off him for a whopping 275, my friend bought an ivory inlaid SW for 700 insane for that time.
That's when I met several now big name players at the green room, chicago heights and other halls on the circuit.
Since then I've had too many to count and likely every major name you can think of and multiples for sure.
Currently I have an AE Artistic Engineering, Ed Prewitt, vintage Mali, couple cheapos.
Most recently I had the pleasure to own the very first recorded SW made by David Kersenbrock.
#1 (~1990) - Meucci - replaced with...
#2 (~1993) - Schon - replaced with...
#3 (~1996) - Original Predator 314 - replaced with...
#4 (~2000) - Custom shaft on doesn'tmatter butt - still got it
pj
chgo
#2 (~1993) - Schon - replaced with...
#3 (~1996) - Original Predator 314 - replaced with...
#4 (~2000) - Custom shaft on doesn'tmatter butt - still got it
pj
chgo
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Sir Rackalot
New member
I bought my first cue in Memphis in '93', it was a "not so fancy merry widow" for 120 bucks. I played with it for a few months and decided to sell it cause it started to hit off. I bought a MCdermot from a friend and it was my player to '97'(still have). Life happened, and I wasn't able to enjoy the game until '20'. Now I'm able to have a small time to play. Since I started playing, I got a Schon R-7(still have), and it hits great. But now, I'm shooting with a SugarTree(my current player and Love It!) and a Gilbert j/b cue(got a Josey coming!).
I started playing about 4 years ago and fell in love with the game. I tried or owned Players, McDermott, Lucasi, Joss, and Meucci. I experimented with linen, leather, and no-wrap cues. I finally figured I preferred no-wrap cues, and when I played my first Pechauer Pro series I found what I'd been looking for and that's what I use now. I understand they were all fine and I was probably too picky, but it's my main hobby and I wanted to play around until I found just the right thing for me.
This was my first custom build. Bob Runde and I agreed when we first met in person that my design
would remain a 1 of a kind and we tinkered with the basic R series cue design. I told him I wanted
the bars and inlays to be jumbo size and the red veneer to be striking so he stacked them. It is now
36 years old and doesn’t see much playing time because like I originally posted, it’s a weightlifter cue.
would remain a 1 of a kind and we tinkered with the basic R series cue design. I told him I wanted
the bars and inlays to be jumbo size and the red veneer to be striking so he stacked them. It is now
36 years old and doesn’t see much playing time because like I originally posted, it’s a weightlifter cue.
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I have owned a few cues. I started with a no name as a kid.
- Meucci- sold
- Meucci- sold
- McDermott- sold
- Viking- still own
- Dale Perry- sold
- Joss- sold
- Tim Scruggs- stollen
- Jerry Olivia- sold
- Cam custom- still own
- Sly- sold
- Sly- sold
- Fry- still own
- Phillippi- sold
- Phillippi- sold
- Lambros- still own
- Jacoby- sold
- Jacoby- present day player.
- Jacoby- present day player.
Gravey39
Active member
My very first cue was given to me from a guy that shot pool with my father. I was around 12-13 at the time and it was a the McDermott with eagles in it. The painted one, not the engraved. I owned the cue all the way up until I left for the army and I ended up giving the cue to a kid around the age that I was when it was given to me. He would come into the pool hall down the street from where I lived. I’m actually wondering now as to where that cue might be hanging around at. This was Quincy illinois. Once I got through basic and AIT, I bought another used McDermott off of a local guy around the area of my duty station. It was and alright cue, was just one of the solid color dark blue cues. Then once I got back from doing a tour in Afghanistan I spent a good portion of my deployment money and finally bought myself a meucci cue. I was in love with this cue, still probably my favorite cue of all time. It was the 21 century 03. If I’m remembering right I think I had a kamui soft tip. I float right there between medium to soft tips. I was shooting pool at a local pool hall to my duty station and ended up getting wayyyy too hammered for my own good and I ended up having someone steal my cue and case that night. Suck a tragedy. Not too long after I went into the place that I purchased my cue and asked the owner what cue was close to the feel of that meucci but within a $600 price range. And to what surprised me was him grabbing a cue that I never heard of and it was a Katana. I shot around with it on the table that he had setup in the shop. I ended up really really liking the cue. I walked out with it that day. I put the kamui medium on this cue. This cue ended up taking a fateful journey with me too. I had that cue in the back seat of a ex gf’s car and when we split she wouldn’t give it back to me. I went about 3-4 years without another cue. A couple years ago I purchased another katana cue. Same exact model that I had before. Now just last weekend my Uncle handed me over his McDermott pool cue and since this was the 20th anniversary of my fathers passing, he handed me my fathers meucci cue. He doesn’t remember when or how my father got the cue. I’ve spent countless hour searching for what model it is. To no avail. Just put a kamikazi brown medium tip on it lastnight, and also put a kamikazi brown soft tip onto my katana. Going to go test these bad boys out tomorrow. The pics are of my fathers meucci
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I won my first cue gambling. I was so proud of that cue spent quite a bit of money putting a good tip on and giving it a very nice Ron Thomas case.
No one seemed to know what brand it was.
Almost 2 years later, I found it listed in a Sears catalog…you could get two of my cues a full rack of balls an 8 ball rack and a 9 ball rack for $49.95 LOL.
Since then (30 years) I’ve owned probably 100 cues. A pile of production cues but also Black, White, SW, Prewitt, Bloodworth, JW, Lambros, Gilbert, DZ, Diveney, Jerry R., Woodworth, Schuler, Jerico
I don’t collect, if they don’t get played, they go away.
Would like to own another DZ and Gilbert and always wanted to try a Scruggs.
I do have some “never sell” cues.
I have a Royce made by Royce Bunnell prior to his OB line of cues and shafts.
I have a pre-production OB cue with one of the first OB shafts made. This cue was used by almost every player on our OB cues Guinea Pigs team before being gifted to my wife from Royce.
Very early OB break cue with the compound taper butt.
I have a Mike Lancaster b/j that is my wife’s now. Very very nice birdseye maple.
My player
Blackcreek with African Blackwood into tulip, full-splice no veneers no inlays, 4 shafts.
Lomax jump cue matched to the Blackcreek
No one seemed to know what brand it was.
Almost 2 years later, I found it listed in a Sears catalog…you could get two of my cues a full rack of balls an 8 ball rack and a 9 ball rack for $49.95 LOL.
Since then (30 years) I’ve owned probably 100 cues. A pile of production cues but also Black, White, SW, Prewitt, Bloodworth, JW, Lambros, Gilbert, DZ, Diveney, Jerry R., Woodworth, Schuler, Jerico
I don’t collect, if they don’t get played, they go away.
Would like to own another DZ and Gilbert and always wanted to try a Scruggs.
I do have some “never sell” cues.
I have a Royce made by Royce Bunnell prior to his OB line of cues and shafts.
I have a pre-production OB cue with one of the first OB shafts made. This cue was used by almost every player on our OB cues Guinea Pigs team before being gifted to my wife from Royce.
Very early OB break cue with the compound taper butt.
I have a Mike Lancaster b/j that is my wife’s now. Very very nice birdseye maple.
My player
Blackcreek with African Blackwood into tulip, full-splice no veneers no inlays, 4 shafts.
Lomax jump cue matched to the Blackcreek
Most of us thought the same thing lol and then 20 years later we have a list of 20 "forever cues" that we no longer have. Try as many as you can, life is short.
I would recommend keeping a cue for a while before you sell if you find another forever cue - most of us have regrets because we sold the old cue too quickly and wish we had it back.